Opposing defenses know what’s coming with Chesterton running back Andrew Goveia and the offensive line blocking for him.
It barely matters.
“The O-line gets a push every time,” Goveia said. “Even if they know where we’re going, they give me 2 yards, and I turn that into 5 yards, and we just keep rolling on them.”
Goveia turned in another yeoman’s effort during the Trojans’ Duneland Athletic Conference game against Lake Central in St. John on Friday night. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound junior ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns on 35 carries as the Trojans edged the Indians 17-16.
Goveia embraces the workload for Chesterton (5-2, 3-2), which rallied back from a 16-3 deficit.
“During the game, I don’t feel it,” he said. “I get a little tired, but we condition for that. I’m sore the next day, of course. But in the game, I’m locked in and doing it for my team.”
Chesterton senior quarterback CJ Perez, who became the starter after senior Brady McCormack suffered a torn ACL in Week 4, appreciates that attitude from Goveia.
“He’s very reliable,” Perez said. “If we had fourth-and-1, I know this guy is going to get the first down. Any time you give him the ball, he’s going to get the yards. He’s never going to lose yards.”
Goveia entered the game against the Indians (3-4, 2-3) with 951 yards and five TDs on 162 carries along with 10 catches for 87 yards and a TD.
“He’s done a great job,” Chesterton coach Mark Peterson said. “He just does a great job week in and week out. He does what we need him to do. He has a great work ethic and just a great gut for what he does. It’s exciting to watch him play.
“He’s a good kid. He works hard. He’s just an awesome kid, and I’m really excited for him to have the success he’s having.”
Last season, Goveia ran for 271 yards on 65 carries and had seven catches for 49 yards as the Trojans went 2-8.
“This feels great,” he said. “Last year was a tough year. I got in at the second half of the season. This year, I’m trying to make an impact. We’re looking for our first sectional (title) ever. That’s our goal. Everyone on offense and defense has their eyes on that.”
Lake Central led 16-3 after junior quarterback Cameron Reddick’s 35-yard TD pass to senior wide receiver Xavier Welty with 8:40 left in the third quarter.
But Goveia scored on a 3-yard run with 1:22 left in the quarter to make it 16-10. Goveia scored again from a yard out, set up by senior Cole Richards’ punt return deep into Lake Central territory, to give Chesterton a 17-16 edge with 9:57 left.
Goveia operated out of the wildcat in the second half with great effect.
“We talked at halftime about coming out and getting into some of that wildcat,” Peterson said. “We got into it and never got out of it. We felt like we caught them in a numbers game. They tried to adjust with some slanting and some different movement, and we were able to catch them when they did that. We just called the right play. From that perspective, it really worked in our favor.”
Lake Central had a final possession, taking over at its 32-yard line with 2:47 left. But Chesterton’s defense sent the Indians in reverse, taking over on downs at the 26-yard line with 26.5 seconds left.
“It gets your heart rate going,” Peterson said. “It was a great team effort. Our defense did a great job getting off the field. We put them in a pickle. That’s the beauty of our defense. Our coaches do a great job every week, but we find a way to make plays.
“Our defense stepped up and did a great job throughout the game, and down the stretch, those last two possessions were huge. We got pressure on the quarterback. It gets a little bit easier when you know they’re going to try to chuck it. But in the same breath, you have to make plays.”
Reddick threw for 132 yards, with senior wide receiver Trevor Kubacki making three catches for 66 yards. Reddick also scored the game’s first TD, a 3-yarder after a 36-yard completion to Kubacki.
“We came out very low on energy off of the bus,” Perez said. “Our coaches said in the locker room we weren’t energized at all. Then we got super hyped and kept scoring — us being the hammer instead of the nail in the second half.”
Goveia agreed that the Trojans buckled down.
“The defense puts us in a great position every time,” he said. “We just play hard and play with grit and get that push.”
